Pressing machine



JOHNSON 1,896,516

' PRESSI-NG MACHINE Filed Sept 4, 1930 3 SheetS-Shegt 1 1933. s. w. JbHNsoN 1,896,516

PRESSIIG CHINE Filed Sept. 1930 3 SheetsSheet 3 IN VEN TOR Qumr- Nth/Mm Patented eh. 7, 1933 GEORGE W. JOHNSON, OF CINCINNATI,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR .TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO FRESSIN G MACHINE Application filed September 4, 1930. Serial No. 479,704.

My invention relates to pressing machines and, particularly, to a pressing machine which is automatically and intermittently operated whereby the operator is relieved of all duties except that of making the proper lays of the articles .to be pressed on the padded bucks.

One obj eet of my invention is to provide a pressing machine embodying a plurality of movable padded bucks and a-plurality of fixed heated pressing heads together with suitable driving mechanism for automatically and intermittently moving the padded bucks selectively into and out of a position wherein one of the pressing heads may move into cooperative relation with one of the bucks to press the articles thereon and into and out of a single central position common to a plurality of the bucks wherein the proper lays of articles to be pressed may be made, the same mechanism adapted for this purpose being also adapted to move the pressing heads into and out of cooperative relation with the padded bucks when in alignment therewith.

Another object of my invention is to provide a driving mechanism embodying means for varying the pressing time while still maintaining a constant speed of travel of the padded bucks intermittently from the central loading station to pressing position.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device so arranged that any n11mber of pressing units may be added to the first unit and be operated in conjunction therewith by the same driving and control mechanism without affecting the operation of the first unit.

Various other objects and advantageous eatures may be seen in the following description and one embodiment thereof may be seen in the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a complete unit consisting of two bucks and two heated pressing members, parts being broken away to show the construction of the driving mechanism; Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the driving mechanism taken on the line 2-2 of .mechanism taken on the line 2, 4 and 5; Fig. 7

Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 parts broken away to show the interior construction; Fig. 4 is a sectional view. of the driving mechanism taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the driving mechanism taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a part of the gear shifting 6-6 of Figs. is a detail view of the ratchet and pawl mechanism used in connection with the intermittent drive for moving the bucks from loading to pressing position taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the ratchet .and pawl mechanism taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

ig. 9 is a sectional view of the rack and pinion drive for the bucks taken on the line 99 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is an elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 in full lines and an added unit in dot-dash lines; and Fig. 11

is a diagrammatic view of the electric control means.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown one embodiment of my invention as comprising a pressing machine embodying spaced pressing bucks and pressing heads, the pressing bucks being interconnected and adapted to be intermittently moved from a single central position common to both bucks and intermediate the spaced pressing heads into a position coincident with their respective cooperating pressing heads together with means for moving the bucks into and out of their respective positions and means for moving the pressing heads into and out of pressing engagement with the respective bucks, vary the time the pressing heads are in engagement with the respective pressing. bucks.

As shown, two pressing bucks 1 are mounted on supporting members 2 and adapted to be moved from-a single central position common to how h into and out of cooperative relation with struction of the padded bucks 1 and pressing heads'3 are identical so that a description of one will suflice for both.

The pressing head 3 is carried by a pressure arm 4 pivoted on an extension 6 of the eated pressing heads 3. The con such last means being of a nature to supporting frame at 7 and adapted to be moved into and out of cooperative relation with the buck 1 by means of a cam 8 having a high point 9 and a low point 10 which operates against a roller 11 carried bya clevis 12 on one end of a rod 12 that reciprocates through a guide sleeve or hearing 13 and is pivotally connected at its rearwardmost end to the lower end of the pressure arm 4 as at 14. A spring 15 is disposed between the elevis 12' on the rod 12 and one end of the sleeve or hearing 13. Thus, when the high point 9 of the cam is in engagement with the roller 11, the pressing head 3 will be swung downwardly by movement of the rod 12 to the left to bring the pressing head into cooperative relation with the buck 1 and, when the low point 10 of the cam is in engagement with the roller 11, the spring 15 will move the rod 12 to the right and the pressing head 3 out of engagement with the pressing buck 1.

To rotate the shaft 16 on which the cam 8 is mounted and thereby move the pressing bucks into pressing position and the pressing head 3 into engagement with the padded buck 1, a motor 17 is provided and the armature shaft 18 thereof is coupled to a worm shaft 19 by means of a coupling 20. A worm 21 on the shaft 19 meshes with and drives a worm gear 22, see Figs. 2, 3 and 4, in clockwise direction which, in turn, through a train of gears 23,

24, 25 and 26 and a sliding clutch 27 that is splinedon the shaft 16, drives the shaft 16 in a counter-clockwise direction. The gear 26 is loosely mounted on the shaft 16 and the drive for such shaft is through the clutch 27 which is shown in Fig. 2 as being in engagement with the hub of the gear 26.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a bevel gear 28 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 16 and is in meshing relation with a bevel gear 29 mounted on a stub shaft and having a crank 30' rigidly secured thereto. The crank 30 is connected to a rack 31 by means of the crank pin 32, such rack 31 being fitted to slide in a sleeve 33 that is pivotally mounted on a shaft 34 in such manner that the teeth of the rack will engage a gear 35 rigidly mounted on the shaft 34 to turn the shaft in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction depending on the direction of movement of the rack which is recip-rocated substantially horizontally.

Referring to Fig. 8, a disk 36 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 34 by means of a key pin 37 and carries a spring actuated pawl'38 adjacent its circumference and a shaft 39 is axially aligned with the shaft 34 and has rigidly mounted thereon a disk 40 provided with two teeth 41 arranged 180 apart and adapted to be engaged by the pawl 38 in certain positions of the disk 36 whereb the disk 40 and shaft 39 will be intermittent y rotated through 180 by the intermittent rotation of the shaft 34 in a counter-clockwise direction. When the shaft 34 and disk 36 rotate clockrection. Such pitman 43 carries a pinion 44 on its outermost end which simultaneously engages a stationary rack 45 and a movable rack 46. Thus, the reciprocation of the pitlnan 43 by the intermittent rotation of the shaft 39 will intermittently move the movable rack 46 to the right or left as the case may be.

As shown in Fig. 1, the movable rack 46 has chains 47 and 48 connected to its opposing ends, the chain 47 passing around an idler sprocket 49 and being connected to one of the pedestals 2 supporting a pressing buck 1 and the chain 48 passing around an idler sprocket 50 and being connected to the pedestal 2 that supports the other pressing buck 1. Such pedestals are connected together by means of a link 51 and the pedestals are mounted for horizontal travel on grooved tracks 52 and 53 by means of rollers 54. The intermittent reciprocation of the movable rack 46 to the right or to the left will result in the respective pressing bucks 1 being intermittently moved into and out of a single central loading position and into and out of cooperating relation with their respective pressing heads 3. As shown in Fig. 9, the rack 46 is mounted on a channel member 55 and supported for horizontal travel by means of rollers 56 that are mounted to turn in bearings in a bracket 57 which is secured to the lower side of the tracks52 and 5.3.

Referring to Fig. 11 of the drawings, the electrical circuit to the motor means or power .unit as shown there consists of a main line switch 58, a snap switch 59, a double pole magnetic contactor 60, a motor armature 61, a field 62 and a limit switch 63 which insures that the machine will not stop during the ironing cycle when the power unit is stopped by opening the snap switch 59, as will be hereinafter described.

To operate the motor orpower unit, assuming that the main line switch 58 is closed, the operator closes the snap switch 59 which completes a circuit from L1 through a line 64, line 65, snap switch 59, line 66, coil 67 of the magnetic contactor 60, line 68, and through the other side of the snap switch 59, line 69 and line 70 to L2. This circuit energizes the magnetic contactor 60 and closes the contacts 71 and 72 which completes the motor circuit from L1 through the line 64, contact 71, line 73, armature 61 and field 62, line 74, contact 72 and line 70 to L2.

Rotation of the armature of the motor rotates the shaft 16 through the worm 21, worm gear 22, gears 23, 24, 25 and 26 and the clutch 27. Such rotation of the shaft 16 through the gears 23 to25 inclusive will turn the crank 30 through the bevel gears 28 and 29 to cause a pull on the rack 31 from the position shown tionary rack 45,

during the first 180 of travel of the crank 30 and turning of the disk 36 through the gear 35, see Fig. 8. This movement through 180 is transmitted to the crank 42 by reason of the pawl 38 engaging one of the teeth 41' of the disk 40 which will, in turn, through the pitman 43, move the pinion 44 along the stacausing the pinion to rotate. Rotation of the pinion 44 by movement of the pitman43 to the left from the position shown will move the movable rack 46 to the left also and will cause a pull on the chain 47 resulting in movementof the pedestals 2.and pressing bucks I to the right until the right hand pressing buck is in alignment with the right hand pressing head 3 and the left hand pressing buck 1 is in the central location shown in Fi 1.

l Vhen such position is reached, a lug 75, see Fig. 2, on a cam disk 76 engages a roller 77 that is mounted on the end of a lever 78 to move the lever in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) about its pivot, the lever 78 pulling on a rod 7 9 which, in turn, moves a clutch shifting lever 80 in clockwise direction causing the clutch 27 to be disengaged from the gear 26 hereinbefore described and the teeth on the other face of the clutch to engage a variable gear reduction me *hanism for the purpose of causing rotation of the shaft 16 and pressing engagement between the head 3 and the buck 1 due to the action of the cam 9 and lever mechanism also hereinbefore described.

The variable gear reduction mechanism provides a means for varying the length of the ironing time or the length of time the head 3 is in engagement with the buck 1 and consists of a series of intermeshing gears 81, 82, 83 and 84 mounted in a frame 84 under control of a lever 83 which is movable so as to-cause the gear 81 to be in meshing relation indirectly with various sized gears 85, 85' and 86 loosely mounted on the shaft 16. The gear 81 is splined on a shaft 87 which carries the gear 24 of the gear train hereinbefore described and the drive for the shaft 16 is now through the worm 21, worm gear 22, gears 23, 24, shaft 87, and gears 81, 82, 83 and 84 to and through the selective gear 85, 85, or 86 with which the gear 84 happens to be in mesh. It will be apparent that the various sized gears 85, 85' and 86 and the movable train of gears 81, 82, 83 and 84 provide a means for varying the speed of rotation of the shaft 16 and thus the length of time the roller 11 is in engagement with the high point 9 of the cam 8 whereby the length of ironing time will be varied. Y

During rotation of the shaft 16 to cause pressing engagement between the head 3 and buck 1, the shaft rotates through 180 of its complete cycle and the crank 30 is also turned through 180 which will cause the crank to push on the rack 31 and reverse the direction of rotation of the gear 35 which causes the pawl 38 to be moved out of engagement and away from the tooth 41 on the disk 40 with which it was engaged. At the end of the cycle, the pawl 38 will drop into the other tooth 41 on the disk 40, such connection and disconnection being provided so as to produce an intermittent operation and also a reciprocating action to the padded bucks 1, the crank 42 and pitman 43 remaining idle during this last cyclic movement of the crank 30 through 180.

At the end of this cycle of movement the roller 77, see Fig. 2, is engaged by a lug 88 on a cam disk 89 to move the lever 78 in a counterclockwise direction and exert a pushing action on the rod 79 and a counterclockwise rotation of the clutch lever 80 to move the clutch 27 to the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein it engages the gear 26 that moves the padded ,bucks 1 in one direction or the other by ro tation of the shaft 16 in a manner hereinbefore described. After this connection, the crank 30 will turn another 180 which will cause the crank to pull on the rack 31 and the pitman 43 through another 180 by means of the pawl and disk connection, the pitman being in the reverse position from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the pinion 44 will be moved to the right, which will cause movement of the rack 46 to the right and a pull on chain 48 to move the bucks 1 to the left into the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein one buck is in alignment with the left hand pressing head 3 and the other pressing buck is between the two spaced pressing heads.

With this construction, the operation is entirely automatic and all that is necessary for the operator to do is change articles and change lays on the padded bucks that are in the central position common to both bucks at certain periods during movement of the bucks into and out of alignment with their respective pressing heads. That is, an article is placed on one of the padded bucks and at the end of a predetermined time the buck will be moved fom the central position to alignment with its respective pressing head, the second buck being moved to central or loading position. Then, at the end of another predetermined period of time, the positions of the bucks are reversed and the cycle is repeated.

To insure that the power unit will not stop during the ironing cycle or when one of the pressing heads is in engagement with one pressing buck, the limit switch 63 is disengaged by the pressure; arm 4 as will be seen in Fig. 3, such limit switch being closed when pressure is applied between the pressing head and pressing buck and opens when such pressure is released. The closing of this switch completes a circuit which parallels the snap switch 59, this circuit'being from L1 through lines 64, 65 and 75', one side of the limit switch 63, line 77', 66, coil 67, line 68, line 7 6, the other side of the limit switch 63, and

lines 78', 69 and 7 O to L2. This circuit mainv ,two additional padded bucks and add a single heating element with its necessary applying pressure mechanism which may be operated from an extension of the same shaft 16 that operates the movement of the bucks, and the pressureapplying mechanism as hereinbefore described in connection with the main unit.

Referring to the drawings and the preceding description, it will be seen that I have provided a device that is automatically operated wherein means are provided for alternately moving padded bucks into and out of a single central position wherein the proper lays may be made and then into and out of alignment with pressure heads at which time the pressing operation will automatically take place. In this manner, the speed of the m. chine is greatly increased, as is the output therefrom.

What I clainris:

1. A pressing machine comprising spaced pressing beds arranged in a gang and adapted to travel in a path, spaced pressing heads arranged along said path and spaced apart with the distance between the centers of the heads approximately twice the distance between the centers of companion beds, whereby only one of a pair of beds may be in registry with a head while the companion bed is in exposed position between said spaced heads, means for reciprocating said gang to bring each bed successively into and out of registry with a head, and means for causing pressing engagement between the registered heads and beds.

2. A pressing machine comprising spaced pressing beds arranged in a gang and adapted to travel in a path, spaced pressing heads arranged along said path and spaced apart with the distance between the centers of the heads approximately twice thedistancc between the centers of companion beds, whereby only one of a pair of beds may be in registry with a head while the companion bed is in exposed position between said spaced heads, means for reciprocating said gang to bring each bedsuccessive y into and out of registry with a head, means for causing pressing engagement between the registered heads and beds, and means for varying. the time a registered head and bed remain in pressing engagement.

3. A pressing machine comprising spaced is in exposed position between said spaced heads, means for reciprocating said gang to bring each bed successively into and out of registry with a head, means for causing pressing engagement between a head and a bed in registry therewith, and means for causing said operation of said second means to follow said registry.

4.1K pressing machine comprising spaced pressing beds arranged in a gang and adapted to travel in a path, spaced pressing heads arranged along said path and spaced apart with the distance between the centers of the heads approximately twice the distance between the centers of companion beds whereby only one of a pair of beds may be in registry with a head while the companion bed is in exposed position between said spaced heads, means for producing a timed pressing engagement between the heads and beds in registry,-means for causing reciprocation of said beds successively into and out of exposed position and into and out of registry with the pressing heads, and means for causing operation of said second named means to follow completion of operation of said first named means.

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature this 23rd day of August 1930.

GEORGE W. JOHNSON. 

